NUTELLA AND MASCARPONE CAKE: If SANTA CLAUS could choose which dessert to find under the TREE, he would want this CAKE!
Each of us has an ace up our sleeve—a dessert that, as young people would say, ‘rocks’—the one that, every time you’re invited, people ask you to prepare, eagerly awaiting that moment.
The dessert that you know everyone, both young and old, will love, even the friend who follows the strictest diets like a model on Via Montenapoleone won’t be able to resist when she sees it.
In my case, it’s the CHOCOLATE CAKE with MASCARPONE AND NUTELLA CREAM, a cake of unique indulgence, composed of soft and moist layers of chocolate base with an enveloping Nutella and mascarpone filling, the paradise of the sweet-toothed!
Everyone will think you’ve spent the whole day preparing it with some tricks worthy of Iginio Massari. But no. One of the winning features of this cake is its ease of execution!
No Stand Mixer or any strange equipment—just a simple electric beater, two bowls, and in a few minutes, you’ll have it in the oven.
Then, once baked, it’s filled with a soft and enveloping super hazelnutty and chocolaty cream, and that’s it.
Perfect for any occasion, from the end of dinner to a delicious snack to a birthday cake, so much so that for the last three years, my son has wanted this to eat with his friends!
If you’re incurable sweet-tooth fans and want to amaze your friends with a cake that will leave them literally speechless, this is the recipe for you.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 448.39 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 58.54 (g) of which sugars 35.12 (g)
- Proteins 7.08 (g)
- Fat 23.94 (g) of which saturated 14.42 (g)of which unsaturated 4.44 (g)
- Fibers 4.01 (g)
- Sodium 24.36 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.9 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2.7 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 packet baking powder
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 3/4 cup Nutella®
Tools
- Bowl
- Electric whisk
- Baking pan
Steps
First, sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa into a large bowl. Then add the sugar and mix all the ingredients with a spoon. Separately, heat the milk in a small pot, without bringing it to a boil, and once warm, add it to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well with an electric whisk for about 1 minute, then add the oil and continue mixing until the ingredients are well combined. Don’t worry if the mixture seems quite liquid; that’s how it’s supposed to be.
Take two pans about 7 inches in diameter, butter them, and divide the batter equally between the two pans. I prefer making two separate pans instead of one because I’m a bit clumsy at cutting the cake in half once it’s baked. However, if you’re better than me, which isn’t hard, you can easily bake the batter in a single pan (in this case, 9-inch diameter), and then once it’s cooled, cut it into two discs with a sharp knife.
Bake at 340°F, preheated oven, for about 30-35 minutes. Obviously, baking times may vary from oven to oven, so I always recommend doing the toothpick test to be sure. If after 35 minutes you insert the toothpick into the cake and it comes out dry, the cake is ready; if it comes out with some batter on it, continue baking for another 5 minutes. If you’re afraid of burning the cake, cover the surface with foil in the last 5 minutes. Naturally, if you used a single pan, the baking time extends by about another 5 minutes.First, slightly soften the Nutella by putting it in the microwave for a few seconds or in a bain-marie. Once softened, pour it into a bowl and add the mascarpone. Make sure the mascarpone is not cold from the fridge, take it out at least 30 minutes before. Use a spatula to mix the Nutella and mascarpone well. Once your cream is ready, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using it to allow it to firm up slightly.
Once baked, remove the cake/cakes from the oven and let it cool, preferably on a wire rack. Then place one of the layers directly on the plate where you will serve the dessert, and with a knife—being careful not to break it—level the surface to make it even (don’t throw away the cake crumbs that fall off; you’ll need them later). At this point, using a spatula, spread the Nutella and mascarpone cream on top, reserving two tablespoons, evenly over the entire cake. Cover with the second layer, spread a very thin layer of cream (the one you saved earlier) and complete the dessert by pouring the leftover cake crumbs on top. Here is your Soft Chocolate Cake with Nutella and Mascarpone Cream ready!
STORAGE
Once ready, you should store it in the refrigerator, and if kept in a container, it will last up to 3 days.
NOTES
As I mentioned, instead of two separate 7-inch cakes, you can make a single 9-inch one, which you will then cut in the center once it’s baked and cooled.
This type of cake, having a fairly moist consistency, can also be eaten as is without the Nutella filling, simply dusted with a little powdered sugar.
